


Why Can't I Give You Butterflies?

by Rayyyyyyy



Category: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, SAD-ISH ENDING, Sorry Not Sorry, Unrequited, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, interwebs, sorry interwebs stans, unless you love spideytorch too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 17:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18665242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rayyyyyyy/pseuds/Rayyyyyyy
Summary: Ned has a crush on Peter.He hopes Peter feels the same way.That is until Peter's gushing about some guy he's infatuated with.Ned kind of feels like dying.





	Why Can't I Give You Butterflies?

**Author's Note:**

> i should rlly update Changes,, oops  
> i was looking for a fic like this but couldn't find one so i made it myself

Ned thought Peter was perfect.

His smile was equivalent to the sun shining on a good day.

His hair seemed effortlessly beautiful.

And it all started in freshman year.

-

Ned was waiting for Peter at the bus stop today. He was usually at his own stop, but he felt like waiting for his friend today. Why? The guy had been absent from school for about a week. When Ned called the first day he was absent, Peter said he was sick.

_“Dude, where were you today?”_

_“I was uh- I’m sick. I think I got bit by some bug. I just don’t feel so good.”_

Then, after being absent on Monday and Tuesday, Peter called him on Wednesday with real bad news.

_“My— Uncle Ben’s dead.”_

So, Peter was absent for the entire week. He was sick and his uncle had died. Ned was worried. Like, really worried. Peter hadn’t answered his texts or his calls ever since, but he did briefly text him he’d be coming back today, the next Monday.

Peter:

i’m going back to school tmrw

Ned:

how are you?

are you ok?

do you wanna talk ab it?

_**Read** 10:58 PM _

He finally saw Peter, and he looked like shit. He had dark circles and his hair was a mess. His expression was not conveying the same energy it usually did.

But he also looked physically different. The type of different that made Ned’s heart skip half a beat. Peter was taller and his posture was almost perfect. He was no longer lanky and wasn’t wearing his glasses anymore. Ned wondered if Peter did one of those dramatic workouts the main characters in movies do after they fail at something.

-

Ned had accepted by now that he had a crush on Peter. And it’s been a year since he first got a hint of feelings towards him. But, he knew Peter didn’t feel the same way. Peter had a crush on Liz Allan. Even worse, he had an actual chance with her.

_Peter’s smile did that adorable thing where it flushed his cheeks and made his lips look cute. “Ned, I think Liz likes me too.”_

_“How do you know?” He pretended to be excited._

_“I asked her out to Homecoming and she said yes.”_

-

It’s been a year since Peter ditched Liz at the Homecoming dance. It’s been a year since Ned found out Peter was Spider-man.

Today, Peter seemed nervous and spaced out. They were in English, but they had a substitute teacher so they weren’t doing anything.

“Peter, what’s up? You look out of it,” Ned thought the oversized sweater looked great on his friend.

Peter rested his chin on his hand and didn’t make eye contact with Ned, “I think I like guys too.” His cheeks turned pink, “But I’m not too sure.”

Was Ned hearing correctly? Did he actually have a chance with _Peter Parker_?

“How do you know you might like guys too?”

He still didn’t make eye contact and stared at his desk as if remembering something, “There’s this boy, and he makes me feel-“ he paused and thought for a moment. Ned appreciated every second of Peter’s confession. “He makes me feel like I’ve got butterflies in my stomach.”

“And who is this boy?” Ned smiled at him. He didn’t want to make Peter feel uncomfortable about talking about his crush. He could relate, so Ned listened curiously. No, he wasn’t asking because he wanted to know if it was him. He just listened.

He kind of hoped it was him though.

Peter smiled while his cheeks became a little more flushed, “He’s just this really cute guy I hang out with a lot, and we’re so similar, but, like, different at the same time.” Peter looked at him with a slightly wider smile and wonder in his eyes, “He gets my jokes and we always meet at the same place to chat for hours. I dunno if he likes me, hell, I don’t even know if he likes guys, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Wow. Ned really wished it was him.

“You should ask him then. Like, if he’s into guys too.”

Peter thought for a moment after Ned said that and bit his lip. Ned tried to ignore how his face got warmer. “I think I will,” he said with a smile. Right then, the bell rang, and Peter quickly slung his bag over his shoulder. “Thanks for the advice, dude,” he said smiling and then jogged out of the classroom.

Ned still held a little hope.

-

Ned was watching the latest news on Spider-man. He thought it was cool that he and the Human Torch beat up a local gang together before turning them in to the cops.

-

Ned strolled up to Peter while he was at his locker and tapped his shoulder from behind.

“‘Sup, man.”

Peter turned to look at him with a lovesick smile, “He said he liked guys and girls too.” His cheeks were pink when he said that.

Ned’s smile faltered a bit.

Peter hadn’t asked him about his sexuality.

That meant he wasn’t the boy Peter was so fascinated with.

He tried ignoring the lump forming in his throat.

He plastered on a smile, “That’s great! Are you gonna ask him out?”

_Please say no._

“I’m thinking of doing that, but I’m kinda scared he’ll say no.” Peter closed his locker shut.

_What does he have that I don’t?_

“Bro, you can do this! Just- just make sure to not make it awkward.”

_Why can’t you talk about me the same way you talk about him?_

“That’s the thing, I dunno if I can ask him without making a joke that’ll ruin the moment.” Peter was looking at him with pursed lips.

_At least tell me what I need to do to make you feel butterflies in your stomach when you think about me._

“If he really likes you too, he won’t mind a joke! Stop overthinking!”

_Am I not meeting your standards?_

“You’re- you’re right. I should just suck it up and ask him,” he took a deep breath in and out. “Alright, I can do this.”

_Please just hold me and tell me I’m enough for you._

“I believe in you, man!”

-

The next morning when he walked into the school, Ned noticed how everyone was talking about the same thing.

Spider-man.

He tried eavesdropping a little on two girls near him while he was at his own locker.

“Did you see the picture yet?”

“What picture?”

“The one that’s all over the place! The one with Spidey and Johnny Storm!”

_Johnny Storm?_

“There’s a bunch of pictures of both of them fighting together!”

“No, no! The one that’s literally everywhere of them kissing!”

_Kissing?_

“Lemme see!”

“Look!”

“Are they on the Statue of Liberty?”

“Yeah, isn’t it adorable?”

_Huh?_

Ned tried ignoring his beating heart as he walked over to Peter’s locker. There he was with his back towards him. Ned tapped on his shoulder causing Peter to jump a little.

“Whoa, dude, it’s just me!”

Peter relaxed a bit, but he still had tense shoulders, “Sorry, I’m just really stressed.”

“About the picture of you and the Human Torch?” He whispered.

Peter groaned a little, “Are you serious? You saw it too?”

_It’s hard to imagine your lips on some other guy._

“Duh, it’s everywhere! Is that the guy you were telling me about?”

Peter flushed and gave him a small smile, “Yeah.”

_Why can’t you feel that way about me?_

“Congrats! Does he know you’re, uh, you?”

“Not really, but I think I’m gonna tell him soon.”

_How come you fell for a guy who doesn’t even know your name?_

“I mean, you trust him right?”

“Mhm.”

“Then tell him! And can I be your best man at the wedding?”

Peter’s face got even redder, “ _Ned!_ ”

_Please don’t leave me._

**Author's Note:**

> let's not talk ab endgame in the comments and keep this spoiler-free :)  
> anyways, i'm planning on updating Changes on friday or saturday but don't take my word for it bc i cannot commit and its a problem  
> \+ also + should i make a second part to this w/ peter revealing his identity to johnny or do y'all have other ideas? 
> 
> *shameless self-promotion* btw go check out changes for some future peter and present tony ;)


End file.
